The Bay's Olympic department ready to be supersized

metroXpress · #1 Posted **Jun 24, 2009, 7:52 PM**

Quote:

The Bay's Olympic department ready to be supersized
By BOB MACKIN, 24 HOURS

Attention Hudson's Bay Co. shoppers.

Work begins this morning on the first bricks-and-mortar Olympic superstore in Games history.

The entire main floor of the Bay downtown will become the official retail souvenir hub of the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Opening is tentatively set for Oct. 1 with the unveiling of Canadian Olympic team uniforms.

Olympic superstores at Torino 2006 and Beijing 2008 were in giant tents.

On April 8, City of Vancouver issued a building permit for a $500,000 interior alteration to the main and second floors by Parkwood Construction to "make space available for a new Olympic shop" in the civic heritage building. The scope of work also includes new flooring and paint on the fourth floor.

HBC moved to Granville and Georgia in 1893 and began building the present store in 1913. It expanded three times through 1949 and is on the civic heritage buildings A-list.

The sixth floor will become Canada Olympic House, the hospitality spot for Canadian athletes, their friends and relatives and sponsors.

http://vancouver.24hrs.ca/News/local/2009/06/24/9906486-sun.html

Metro-One · #2 Posted **Jun 24, 2009, 7:56 PM**

I love the bay building, but i hope they do a few minor renovations before 2010. Most notable is that they really need to re-do the floors, some new carpeting and tiles would create a world of difference in the Bay. Also they should spruce up the awnings outside (a fresh coat of paint and few simple new lighting effects/signs would also go a long way).

sono65 · #3 Posted **Jun 24, 2009, 8:41 PM**

^^ Agreed. Apparently they just did an exterior reno on the whole building, but it doesn't seem to have helped much as the whitish/yellow stain color paint and that awning makes the whole place look old and a little ghetto-ish.

johnjimbc · #4 Posted **Jun 24, 2009, 9:23 PM**

I'm glad someone else commented on the really sad condition of the awning. Most of the extensive external renovations get sorta lost because the rusting, flaking awning distracts you. I am really surprised they didn't at least scrape and repaint it as well, it seems like it would have been a minor addition to the expense of refurbishing the whole facade over several months. Plus, wouldn't that have been the optimal time to have done the work?